Teaching kids how Jesus lived and instructing them in the Christian faith is vital to the development of a confident, grace-filled individual. There are countless testimonies of children who learn Biblical truths at a young age and carry those truths with them into adulthood. One way churches can lean into this vital task is by including scripture memorization into their kid’s ministry curriculum.
However, how you incorporate scripture memorization is just as important. You want the kids in your classrooms to love their Bible lessons and get excited about memorizing scripture. Our team has worked in numerous churches throughout the country and we’ve found several ways that proven successful when teaching kids about scripture. Our prayer is that as you implement these ideas, the children in your kid’s ministry remember these truths as they grow.
1. Use Flashcards to Teach Children Scripture
Flashcards are a great way to incorporate scripture memorization into your Bible lessons. One way that we have seen kids get excited about flashcards is by finding flashcards that have a picture associated with each verse. The picture helps kids remember the verse as they go through each card. You can also provide a reward for each child once they memorize all the verses on their flashcards. One good thing to keep in mind, however, is that some kids learn at faster rates than others. Don’t pressure the kids to learn everything exactly. As long as they get the Biblical truth from the verse, they are doing a great job.
Here is a free printable for flashcards your Kid’s ministry can use. There are also countless others you can download by simply doing a quick Google search.
2. Play Games to Teach Children Scripture
Another successful strategy we’ve found to teach scripture is playing games. Playing games eases the pressure of kids who don’t want to stand in front of a class and recite verses. Here are a few games we love:
Charades
Matching Game
Books of the Bible Links
Bible Bingo
Word Search
3. Use Videos and Sing Songs to Teach Children Scripture
Research has shown that by putting Bible verses to songs, kids more easily remember the vital truths of scripture. One great video producer is Seeds Family Worship, a music-based ministry that creates word-for-word scripture songs. These are not your old school Bible songs; they’re relevant, well-written modern worship songs. Sharefaith Kids has partnered with Seeds Family Worship to release their entire catalogue of kids worship videos.
4. Use Craft Activities to Teach Children Scripture
Getting crafty is an excellent way to encourage the kids in your kid’s ministry to remember scripture. One craft that’s cheap and easy to do is allowing kids to create their own version of flashcards. These flashcards are great because it provides a blank slate for kids to create their own pictures that help them remember specific verses from their Bible lesson. You can also print out blank coloring sheets for students to color, glue craft supplies, or paint to remember each verse.
5. Read Books to Engage Children with Scripture
Another idea is to incorporate reading time into each Bible lesson. There are many books you can read in your classrooms that teach valuable Bible lessons. One of our favorite book series is The Next Door Series by Denette Fretz. Each book depicts two unlikely pairs who learn to love each other by showing the love of Christ to their neighbor.
Whatever you decide is the best route for you to implement in your kid’s ministry, we hope we’ve provided you a few new ways to help your kids learn scripture. Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, 61). Our prayer is that as you teach scripture to your kids, their hearts will grow to love and understand more of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Next Steps
To obtain more resources for your kid’s ministry, check out the Sharefaith Kids SEEDS worship videos. We exist to help equip you so your church can share the good news with your congregation and community.
